The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-11
THE MINORITY REPORT.

the full text of the report OF the minor
ity of the Utah Commission, Messrs
Carlton and McCIernand. We do not
think anybody will say the report is
IL any sense favorable to the Mormon
cause, nor that the gentlemen compris-
ing the minority express any love for
Mormonism. Whatever sympathies
they may have are evidel fly not with
the Saints and the religion which has
made the Mormons noted. But the re-
port bears evidence of having been
written by men who have q fair
knowledge of the situation, and re-
markedly keen appreciation of the duties
of their Office They have endeaVored
to remove } from their minds
the prejudice which actuates and con-
trolls SO many of the Federal officials.
In these respects the minority differ
from the majority, and the report of
the latter is unlike that of the former.
Messrs. Carlton and McClernand
rightly assume that the laws under
which they hold office were enacted for
the purpose OF suppressing the practice
of polygamy in this Territory and not
for the purpose of depriving the Nor
mons Of their rights as citizens of the
republic provided they will discon-
tinue the social institution or
custom which occasioned the passage
of the congressional statutes mentioned.
These gentlemen hold, as Congressman
declared when the bills we're on their
passage, and as the United States
Supreme Court decided when called
upon to interpret the statute, that the
avs were not enactments against reli-
gious belief, but against certain
practices held by the public
sentiment of the nation to be
Immoral and declared Illegal by Con-
gressionai enactment. Holding this
opinion the gentlemen necessarily hold
that the practice legislsted against being
abolished. the law has been satisfied,
and it is not for the Commission or
other authority to enlarge the scope of
the statute, or even to recommend
haFsher measures for the achievement
OF what is being accomplished fast
enough by the means already proyided.
Much of the document is taken
up in the statement OF what has
been done under the act, that state
men' being to the effect that the law
has been literally enforced so far as
relates to that portion of it the en-
torcement of which is charged upon the
Commission. That is TO gay, that
polygamists and women having been
deprived of the right of suffrage, no
polygamist or woman has been per-
mitted to vote; that those guilty of
violating the provisions of the law being
disqus'i6sd for holding Office, none
such are Ii Office.
Perhaps here is ss far as the Com
mission should go in the reports, but as
the majority have gone further and
assumed to discuss questions which are
no more to them than are matters re-
iating to the glaciers of
Alaska, the minority have fol-
lowed with q showing as to the
local situation. and all honest. fair
men must confess that the presentation
is more nearly correct than that of the
majority; and is an unsnswerable OBJ
lection to further adverse or ooercive
legislation, Tbs minority 6ud that
while the law has been enforced against
1s0Aa n ha ,lf linz
them into the background, public senti:
ment on the subject has been so COM
pletely revoiutiouized vi thin three
years that last August over IS per cent
of the Mormons who went to the polls
voted for q State Constitution forbid
ding the practice of polygamy in tee
Territory. II should be borne in mind
that all these Mormons had first taken
a solemn oath that they would
not violate he United States
laws against polygamy. Instead of COR
demning this voluntary abandonment
of the practice which had called forth
the anti-polygsmy laws, and denounc-
ing those who proposed to come within
the laws OF the republic as frauds and
cheats. practicing deception, the min
ority think the proper thing 10 do is TO
accept SIS honest this popular confession
Of obedience to the demands Of the na
ton, and encourage the movement
which can only be in the direction
aimed at by the Congressional laws,
namaiy. the suppression Of polygamy.
Who viii say the minority are not right
as officials of the government charged
with certain duty, and as intelligent
menu In this line, Messrs. Carlton
aud MeClernand assert, which is rec
ognized fact, that The Mormons have
been led TO bellows that if the practice
OF Dolygamy shall actually and-ip good
faith be abolished. Congress will "a
fn,tbeF pargne them with hostIe .egi>